Merced College’s Jackson, Alexander headed to Division I

The holidays should be a little extra special for Nih-jer Jackson this year.

At this time a year ago, the Merced College wide receiver’s future was up in the air. Jackson was dismissed from the team for disciplinary reasons six games into his freshman season and was suddenly adrift.

Jackson said it was the wake-up call he needed. The 6-foot-3 wideout joined the school’s track and field team in the spring and used the time to develop mentally and physically. Jackson got stronger, faster and probably most importantly, did a lot of growing up. Merced College football coach Bob Casey took note of Jackson’s efforts and allowed him back onto the team in the fall.

The fruits of those efforts paid dividends Wednesday afternoon as Jackson signed a national letter of intent with Southeastern Louisiana University. He was one of two Blue Devils to put pen to paper as offensive lineman Nyquel Alexander also signed early so he could join Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the spring.

“The way everything worked out, I feel like it had to have happened for a reason,” Jackson said. “I wasn’t even on the team anymore a year ago, and now I’m signing to play Division I football. I always knew I had the ability; I just wasn’t certain how it would happen. Joining the track team was big for me, because it helped keep me focused. Coach (Luis) Foy wasn’t just a coach but a mentor to me also. I needed time to do some growing up and maturing, and he helped me with that.

“I can’t thank coach Casey enough for giving me a second chance. I tried to come back and be a leader and show the guys that I’d changed a little bit.”

Jackson was Merced College’s big-play threat in the passing game, catching 38 passes for a team-high 835 yards and 11 touchdowns. He will be expected to do the same for a Southeastern Louisiana squad that went 7-4 this season and finished third in the Southland Conference.

One main reason Jackson didn’t have more catches was that the Blue Devils had a big left tackle to run behind in Alexander. The 6-foot-6, 420-pound lineman, affectionately known as “Big Easy,” played his sophomore campaign with a chip on his shoulder, according to Casey. He anchored a line that helped produce 1,797 rushing yards and yielded just 12 sacks in 11 games.

“At first, I was a little scared to take my visit on my own, but after I started talking to the coaches, it felt like home and they treated me like family,” Alexander said of Arkansas-Pine Bluff. “Who wouldn’t want to play for a team that treats you like family?

“I don’t have to pay anything. I’m scot-free. I can finally do me now and just play football and go to school.”

Casey said he believes the early signings are a precursor to even bigger things come February.

“We have a number of guys that have some very interested teams after them,” Casey said. “In addition to these guys, we have another four or five that may be going Division I and then another 10-12 that will be signing at the lower levels.

“Both these guys have similar stories. You come here because you’re lacking something coming out of high school, either physically, academically or emotionally. Nih-jer was always good on the academic side but needed to do some maturing. ‘Easy’ came here because he was told he couldn’t play at the next level at his size. They needed a couple years, but once they figured it out, they excelled.

“Now they have a chance to get acquainted with their new schools, participate in spring ball and should be in the mix to be starters come the fall.”

This story was originally published December 14, 2016 at 4:34 PM with the headline "Merced College’s Jackson, Alexander headed to Division I."